Charlie Bartlett

Rating:

* * *

Verdict:

Offbeat teen comedy doesn't quite hit the mark.

The name might be new but title guy Charlie Bartlett (Anton Yelchin) feels kind of familiar. He follows in the footsteps of some memorable high school rebels.

In Yelchin's characterisation there are echoes of the enthusiastic Max Fischer of

Rushmore

, the ambitious Tracy Flick of Election, and the helpful Cher Horowitz of

Clueless

. But if Charlie has a true quirky forebear, it's Matthew Broderick's Ferris Bueller.

Charlie is a nice rich kid who's one and only ambition at high school is to be popular, a pursuit which has led to expulsion from a long list of private schools.

Finally, his overwhelmed and medicated mother Marilyn (Davis) has no choice but to send him to the local public school, where Charlie is easy prey for bullies.

In his new environment, Bartlett's quest for popularity is more challenging than ever before, and so his entrepreneurial skills kick in.

Charlie becomes the school's underground shrink, shelling out advice and prescription drugs  acquired from his family psychiatrist.

Unfortunately for Charlie, his newfound popularity is soon threatened. Under the disinterested leadership of alcoholic principal Gardner (Robert Downey Jr), the school is about to implode, and Charlie ends up right in the centre of it all.

Charlie Bartlett

is filled with interestingly drawn characters,  performances which are mostly engaging and comedy that is delightfully dark. That said, there is something not quite right with the overall tone of the film.

Former editor-turned-director John Poll flicks between Hollywood sentimentality and the quirk of, say, a Wes Anderson film.

And while it's sometimes an uneasy mix, it's still a charming effort.

Francesca Rudkin

Cast:

Anton Yelchin, Robert Downey Jr, Hope Davis, Kat Dennings, Tyler Hilton

Director:

John Poll

Running Time:

90 mins

Rating:

M (drug use, offensive language)

Screening:

Rialto, Hoyts and Berkeley Cinemas